Category Archives: Rick Warren

Rick Warren continues his push for globalism and his approval of New Age. Last week he hosted a health seminar at Saddleback Church, and here is one attendees report on it worth noting. There still seems to be a huge lack of discernment amongst evangelical Christians when it comes to Rick Warren.

“Saturday Jan. 15th, 2011 will go down in the history books as the day Saddleback Church was sold a bill of goods. The masses had come out in droves for answers to their weight loss difficulties & health problems, but unbeknownst to them, they were being given a prescription for restructuring society & population control . . . ‘Saddleback community’ would be an example of “sustainable living” and would set the course to “change this world” … and the crowd went wild!”

I first arrived to Saddleback’s campus only to be told that “all parking lots were full.” I drove across the street to see if there were any spots available in the business lots, and they were full too. I ended up parking in a housing tract and walked a mile or two back to Saddleback’s campus. As I arrived, I overheard a parking lot attendant say they estimated about 6,000 people had come to the seminar.

I was a little late, so I was grateful to my nephew who went online and began to relay what was being said in the opening comments, as I didn’t want to miss what was to be the foundation of the talks that day. I was a little taken aback when my nephew told me the first speaker, Dr. Amen, made reference to the Egyptian pyramids and how they were built upon an “idea,” and if man could build something like that all those thousands of years ago, what could he do today if he put his mind to it? I found that to be somewhat disturbing, as the pyramids, no matter how impressive they were, represent the ancient pagan religions which got their start in Babylon when Nimrod gathered men (the community) together to commit idolatry by building a tower to honor themselves as gods (Gen. Ch. 11). [1] And yet here it was, the analogy that was chosen to illustrate this new “idea” Saddleback would launch their 52 week program with. No matter what Dr. Amen’s intent was, I believe the analogy was appropriate, and the subtle message is telling…”MAN CAN DO ANYTHING HE PUTS HIS MIND TO.” Sound familiar? (Read Gen. 3:4-5). [2]

As I began to head up the hill toward the main sanctuary, a Saddleback tram pulled up and the driver asked if I wanted a lift. I said I preferred to walk, but thanks. The driver yelled, “Let’s all give her a hand folks, she’s started the Daniel Plan already!” And the people on the tram cheered. Never mind the fact that I have been walking my entire life because I enjoy doing so, not because of some health and fitness campaign. I sensed I was entering a nightmare.

The main sanctuary was full, & it was standing room only. They told me the overflow areas were full too. So I found a spot on the patio outside the main sanctuary looking in. I had a good view and could see the stage perfectly. Their outdoor sound system made it so I could roam around, observe the audience, continue to listen to the guest speakers, and take notes.

To begin, I’d like to state that Saturday Jan. 15th, 2011 will go down in the history books as the day Saddleback Church was sold a bill of goods. The masses had come out in droves for answers to their weight loss difficulties & health problems, but unbeknownst to them, they were being given a prescription for restructuring society & population control.

The prescription goes by the name Agenda 21, a.k.a. “Sustainable Development” or “Smart Growth.” Agenda 21 is a published document put out by the United Nations with the intent to put limits on population and to restructure nation-states into a global society. [3] Rick Warren’s “new friends” had dubbed it, “The Daniel Plan – God’s Prescription For Your Health.” A more appropriate title would’ve been, “Sustainable Living – Destroying Inalienable Rights, One Community at a Time.”

By the time I settled into listening more intently, the second speaker, Mark Hyman, began. It didn’t take too long to figure out what the basis of his message was: We “need to heal with community” (he termed this “accompaniment”), “we’re here for the sake of each other,” this plan “is our way out,” this plan “saved me,” and in fact will “change the world.”

Saddleback was being told they were a “test community” to show the world how to live “healthy and sustainably.” When I heard these words, my heart sank. It was as I’d feared. I knew which buzzwords to listen for, and he was hitting them all. The audience was told they would be champions in health to show the world what “living sustainably” was all about, but Dr. Hyman is a leftist who is more than a champion in health, he’s a change agent for the global elite, as is Dr. Oz & Dr. Amen. Dr. Hyman is the founder and medical director of the Ultra Wellness Center, he advises Dr. Oz’s healthcore group, and he’s a nominee to President Obama’s advisory group on prevention, health promotion, and integrative and public health. [4] Hmmmmmm. I smell an agenda.

Dr. Hyman practices what’s known as “functional medicine,” which means he uses a “whole systems” approach to medicine; in other words, he practices medicine “wholistically,” This is also known as “Mind Body” medicine. At Saddleback’s seminar, “mind body” or “functional” medicine was presented as if it’s completely scientific. Any scientist worth his salt will tell you that yes, the body can be measured scientifically, but the mind falls into an entirely different category which can never be measured by science. As stated by Dave Hunt in his book Occult Invasion – The Subtle Seduction of the World and Church, “Physical science, by very definition, can make no judgments concerning a nonphysical realm” as is the mind & the soul. [5] In other words, the mind and the soul are scientifically immeasurable.

It’s the same with the religions of “Mind Science.” Calling a religion “Mind Science” or “Scientology,” when there’s nothing scientific about it, is the same as calling a cereal “Grapenuts” when it contains no grapes or nuts. But we live in an era when the masses have been sufficiently dumbed down, and all it takes to impress is clever packaging and branding. If “they” say it’s science, then dog-gone-it, it’s science! After all, “these doctors are on television.”

As I sat through all 3 presentations by Dr.’s Hyman, Amen, & Oz, what came to mind were the traveling salesmen of the 1800s. They talk fast, so fast that the message that’s really being given, goes right over people’s heads. They used tactics to tug at the heart strings such as videos of sick little girls who suddenly got well from being on “the program” and have been “set free” from relying on medications. Then they flooded the audience with “facts” and “statistics” to scare any grandmother, such as “a tsunami of disease is hitting us,” “life expectancy is going down,” “1 out of 2 people are diabetic or pre-diabetic,” “70% of all agricultural land is taken up by growing animals to feed all the people,” “the bigger your body gets, the more your brain shrinks,” etc.

I about fell off my chair when Dr. Hyman stated, “The key to the success of the “Daniel Plan” is “group living” … “individuals” will not succeed, our only hope lies in “community.” [LT Note:This is exactly what the emerging church is teaching.] And with that, it was announced that the “Saddleback community” would be an example of “sustainable living” and would set the course to “change this world” … and the crowd went wild! [LT Note:talked glowingly about a critical mass needed to change our world?] Remember, when we reported how Rick Warren

Dr. Hyman said that he is a Jew, Dr. Amen said he is a Christian, and Dr. Oz said he is a Muslim. And doesn’t that represent the demographic of “most of the population of the world”? But then he said, “we’re all the same underneath.” True to his salesman fashion, Dr. Hyman didn’t define his terms. What in the world does he mean “we’re all the same underneath”? That can mean a number of things. Since he was speaking to a religious crowd, I’d venture to say some of the folks present took that to mean we’re all children of God (Jews, Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, etc.), which is patently false according to the Bible. The Bible says there are only two groups, children of wrath and children of God. You’re either one or the other, a believer in Christ Jesus, or a non-believer. We aren’t “all the same underneath.” (Ephesians Ch. 2). [6]

The only way in which we’re “all the same underneath” is we’re all sinners in need of a Savior; and the Savior isn’t “sustainable living.” [LT Note: Remember, the New Age says the era of the single savior is OVER!] The Savior is Jesus Christ, and He is the only way unto salvation (John 14:6). [7] And to become a child of God, Jesus said, “You must be born again” (John Ch. 3). [8] The tragic thing about this day at Saddleback is, Jesus was never mentioned … and I mean NEVER. There were a few passing references to God; Daniel Amen mentioned that our bodies were “a temple of the Holy Spirit and the brain is the inner sanctum” [Amen means that all humans are the temple of the Holy Spirit], but Jesus never made the cut – ”sustainable lifestyles” and “group living” did.

Following Dr. Hyman’s talk, my best friend arrived to observe the day with me, only to hear Dr. Amen mention in his presentation that he did a brain scan on one of his clients who had a habit of cheating on his wife. The brain scan showed that there were “holes in the pre-frontal cortex of his brain” which controls the impulses. In other words, this man wasn’t sinful, he was “mentally ill.” All he needed was to get on the “Change Your Brain, Change Your Body” program, and his personal struggles with sin were remedied. Once again, Jesus was removed from the equation. My friend and I were dumbfounded when we listened to the Saddleback crowd cheer. My best friend couldn’t contain it any longer and let out a, “You’ve got to be kidding me.” My thoughts exactly!

Dr. Hyman recommended Yoga and meditation to the crowd. Dr. Amen gave a diplomatic denunciation of Yoga (which is contradictory since he has recommended it himself), but about 5 sentences later mentioned a study done by a friend of his named Andy Newberg who did brain scans on Tibetan nuns and Franciscan priests while in “prayer and contemplation” and the study showed that “spiritual connection” is healthy. Dr. Amen has been an advocate of “Sa Ta Na Ma” meditation. [9]

If by chance any attendees of the Saddleback “Health and Fitness Seminar” read this blog post, I encourage you to educate yourself about what globalism truly is. You also need to research Agenda 21. As stated earlier, the purpose of Agenda 21 is to restructure society. Sounds conspiratorial, I know. But it isn’t a conspiracy; it’s a published document of the United Nations that’s in full swing. Anywhere you hear the terms, “Sustainable Development,” ”sustainable living,” “smart growth,” ”going green,” etc., rest assured you’ve just been exposed to the U.N.’s Agenda 21. [10]

It shouldn’t surprise us that Rick Warren would allow a seminar of this nature at Saddleback; after all, he himself has “GONE GREEN.” [11] He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. [12] This illustrates the natural progression of one being unequally yoked with non-believers & buying into heresies such as “Kingdom Now,” “Dominionism,” or “Restoration Theology.” Where these heresies reign, as they do at Saddleback, you will find that the focus subtly shifts from salvation in Christ alone, through faith alone, to misguided efforts to restore mankind & the earth through “community” works, sustainable living, and social justice. How convenient that these just happen to be the vehicles which the United Nations is using to further it’s own agenda to restructure society & unite the world under its governing body of global elites.

TRUE TRUTH:2 Timothy 4:3-4
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

(I found it to be slightly humorous that, on page 9 of the booklet which Saddleback passed out to attendees, the symptom of “itchy ears” was listed in the “Medical Symptom/Toxicity Questionnaire”…oh, the irony!) (source: Ponderings from Patmos)

Lighthouse Trails Comment: We encourage Christian leaders and pastors, such as Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel who in front of thousands of people allowed Rick Warren to give the opening prayer of Greg Laurie’s Harvest Crusade and called him his ”good friend,” to publicly speak up in this matter. Thus far, Christian leaders are remaining utterly silent about Rick Warren’s New Age health fair done in the name of Christianity. The silence of Christian leaders is deafening.

Source: Editors at Lighthouse Trails A SPECIAL LIGHTHOUSE TRAILS COMMENTARY

A recent USA Today article, “Saddleback founder Warren driven to expand his reach,” begins by asking the question “Could California pastor Rick Warren possibly be everywhere at once?.” The article mentions Warren’s global travels, while promoting his Purpose Driven Peace Plan and the recently launched Peace Coalition. The question that should be asked is “Can pastor Rick Warren possibly serve both God and man at the same time?.” With modern technology, jet travel, Internet and other high speed communication, and millions of dollars at Warren’s disposal from book sales, the first feat may not be too difficult to accomplish–in essence Rick Warren is everywhere at once. But the second, serving both God and man at the same time, is utterly impossible.

The USA Today article gives a few hints regarding Warren’s failure in his attempt to serve both God and man at once. Since the release of The Purpose Driven Life, Warren has consistently taught that the first reformation (Luther) was about creeds (doctrines and beliefs) and the second reformation (the one Rick Warren is attempting to initiate) is about deeds (i.e., good works). Rarely has he said that this new “reformation” will be about both deeds AND creeds, and certainly he has not taught that creeds IS more important that deeds. His emphasis on creeds (doctrine) has been minimal.

But in the USA Today article, he states: “Of course, we need creeds … We don’t need to change what we believe. We need to change how we behave. It’s not creeds or deeds. I didn’t say that. It’s creeds and deeds.(emphasis added)

This is a misleading statement by Warren, and many reading it will think he is defending biblical doctrine. But in reality, he isn’t. What he is saying here is that no matter what your beliefs are, that is OK, but you need to have deeds. This is not defending biblical doctrine at all. What he is saying is (and has consistently said throughout the years) that it doesn’t matter what beliefs you have, as long as you do good works.

The set of quotes below are an example of how Warren has placed beliefs on a back burner while exalting the need for good works:

“The first Reformation was about beliefs. This one needs to be about behavior. … We’ve had a Reformation; what we need now is a transformation.” .”–Rick Warren, July 2005 at the Baptist World Alliance with Tony Campolo and Jimmy Carter.

Warren called for “a new reformation” to adapt to the 21st-century world. “The first Reformation was about belief; this one needs to be about behavior.”–Rick Warren, 2005, “A World of Baptists,” Associated Baptist Press

“You know, 500 years ago, the first Reformation with Luther and then Calvin, was about beliefs. I think a new reformation is going to be about behavior. The first Reformation was about creeds; I think this one will be about deeds. I think the first one was about what the church believes; I think this one will be about what the church does. The first Reformation actually split Christianity into dozens and then hundreds of different segments. I think this one is actually going to bring them together.”–Rick Warren, Pew Forum on Religion

Warren has convinced millions of people that a new reformation is going to take place via the Purpose Driven Movement: a reformation in which good works (deeds) must be practiced regardless of one’s religious beliefs or even lack of them. What beliefs one holds is secondary, according to Rick Warren.

At the 2005 UN Prayer Breakfast, he told an audience of Christians, Hindus, and Muslims, “God doesn’t care what religion you are.”

He told acclaimed broadcast journalist and interviewer Charlie Rose that his Purpose Driven Peace Plan could include homosexuals, and he told the Pew Forum that his reformation could include Muslims. And when he says that the first reformation “split Christianity” and the new one will “bring them [Catholicism and Protestantism] together, it broadens his reformation kingdom even more.

Rick Warren’s reformation is an earthly, man-inspired movement, and this is why the emphasis cannot be placed on biblical doctrine – it would be too limiting and constricting.

To back up our claims that Warren has not emphasized biblical doctrine, Lighthouse Trails has documented through books and articles, for more than 6 years, Warren’s long-standing and continuous promotion of a new spirituality that is ecumenical, mystical, emerging (or merging), compromising, and has strong implications of the New Age movement. And yet, even with all the evidence there is to show that Rick Warren is walking down a path that is heading for something far different than biblical Christianity, the USA Today article says that “he’s annoyed that anyone questions his evangelical credentials.” He has shown this annoyance many times in many ways. In a book he has used for training leaders and pastors, it says that opposers (to his program) are like “leaders from hell.”

When George Mair wrote a biography about Warren that Warren didn’t like (even though it was a testament of praise), Warren tried to defame Mair in a most unkind and un-warranted manner. A number of other examples could be shown here that proves the USA Today article is accurate when it says “he’s annoyed” with anyone who questions his theology. The USA Today article also shows that Warren’s view toward what he calls fundamentalist Christians is just as derogatory as ever.

“There are all kinds of fundamentalists,” he [Warren] says, listing Christian, Muslim, Jewish, atheist, even secular forms. “I don’t happen to agree with any of them.” Warren’s distaste for fundamentalist Christianity was revealed in January 2006, when a Philadelphia reporter, attending a Saddleback service, stated: “Warren predicts that fundamentalism, of all varieties, will be ‘one of the big enemies of the 21st century.”Muslim fundamentalism, Christian fundamentalism, Jewish fundamentalism, secular fundamentalism – they’re all motivated by fear. Fear of each other.'” In 2005, at the Pew Forum of Religion, Warren told the mostly liberal audience: Today there really aren’t that many Fundamentalists left; I don’t know if you know that or not, but they are such a minority; there aren’t that many Fundamentalists left in America … Now the word ‘fundamentalist’ actually comes from a document in the 1920s called the Five Fundamentals of the Faith.* And it is a very legalistic, narrow view of Christianity.” 1

This brings us to the point we hope to make in this article. Rick Warren has been trying to appeal to both the secular world and the evangelical world–he is attempting to serve both “God” and man. Shortly after he made the comments rejecting the five fundamentals of the faith, he made a statement, this time to a Christian audience, saying he did not reject them but rather believed in them. In his efforts to bring about an ecumenical, global reformation, Rick Warren has attempted to appeal to all persuasions. But what he says to one audience does not work for another, so he must change what he says, depending on the occasion and the audience. The reason it does not work, is because a Christian cannot serve both God and man. The true Christian cannot work to build a kingdom of this world while trying to hold onto God’s kingdom, one that Jesus said is not of this world. Rick Warren believes that Christian fundamentalists will have no part in his new reformation. He believes they are an enemy to the world today. He likens them to Islamic terrorists.

But in actuality, a true Christian “fundamentalist” is one who believes in the fundamentals of biblical faith. Thus, his annoyance, anger, and growing frustration should not be directed at true believers (what he calls fundamentalists). Scripture is clear: “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24). In Warren’s effort to serve the world, he has come to despise the bride of Christ.

Right now, in the news, Rick Warren is taking some heat by the secular media and by homosexual activists for his stand against homosexual marriage, and Barack Obama is taking heat for asking Warren to participate at the inauguration. What is so ironic about this is that Rick Warren has done more to help Obama win than perhaps any other person. That may sound very far fetched to many, but please consider this: Through various means, Warren has helped to propel the emerging church, a movement which ignited possibly millions of young people to join ranks with leaders like Brian McLaren, Tony Campolo, and Jim Wallis. McLaren, who became an advisor to Obama prior to the election, and was named as one of the 25 most influential evangelicals by Time magazine, gave the green thumbs up to his followers to vote for Obama. It is very likely that this huge group of young “progressive evangelicals” (perhaps well over 20 million, according to some estimates) tipped the balance toward Obama, giving him the victory. But that is not all Warren did: In addition to helping propel the emerging church, Warren’s badgering at conservative Christians for focusing too much on abortion and homosexual marriage eventually gave way to causing confusion and guilt by many who were Purpose-Driven congregants. That number, by the way, is high. With 400,000 churches in his network (worldwide), a conservative number of US followers could easily be well over 50 million people (300,000 X 250 congregants).

So this is why we say it is ironic that Warren is in the present trouble with the homosexuals and the secular media. He helped to get them the president they wanted. Regardless of Rick Warren’s reasons for showing a last-minute public support for California’s Proposition 8 (banning homosexual marriage), he is a man who is attempting to serve both “God” and man. Perhaps after all these years, since the release of The Purpose Driven Church, it has finally caught up with him. But where will he find his home? It will not be with the liberals and homosexuals unless he changes his stance on homosexual marriage. And it will not be with biblical Christians whom he is “annoyed” with and whom he has come to despise. Will it be with the broad group of spiritual “seekers” who are ever looking but never finding truth because it is never truly presented to them? Some will see Rick Warren as a Christian martyr for being ridiculed and harassed by the media and homosexual activists.

But Lighthouse Trails can only see him as one who has been deceived and has taken far too many with him into that deception. A man of God is not annoyed when he is questioned and challenged, but rather he seeks to repent and correct his wayward path. If Rick Warren became single-minded, serving only God, he would stand to lose a lot, but it would be nothing in comparison to what he would gain. “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36)

* The Five Fundamentals of the Faith
1. The Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2. The Virgin Birth.
3. The Blood Atonement.
4. The Bodily Resurrection.
5. The inerrancy of the scriptures.